My 3x great-grandfather applied to receive his father's pension after his death in the Civil War as the only surviving son who was a minor under the age of 16 at the time of death. He was required to prove his legitimacy but could not. Apparently there were very few Presbyterian records kept in Pennsylvania in the 1840s. A 10 year legal battle ensued and, after two separate special examinations, he could not furnish proof of his birth and his application was rejected.
If I read the documents correctly, the pension would've guaranteed him $8 per month starting from 1864 to his death in 1928. That's about 768 months at $8 per month for a total $6144, not adjusted for inflation.
I've put together this family's paper trail and everything checks out. Additionally, I myself have discovered a DNA match from this ancestor's older brother's descendants, proving that the two were related and legitimate children of the soldier in question.
If you'll allow me to be silly for a bit, that amount in 1864 has the purchasing power of nearly $100,000 today. This is my paternal line and my family comes from the oldest son of the oldest son of the oldest son, so... where's our money??
